Brown Butter Toffee Pecan and Dark Chocolate Oatmeal Cookie Bars

We all have our go to recipes. Recipes that we know like the back of our hand; Recipes that we turn to at the end of a rough day; Recipes that each and every time we make them bring back vivid memories that are happy, but also maybe a little bit sad; Recipes that just plain have the power to put a smile on our faces…

For me that recipe is Chocolate Chip Bars. There is something so wonderfully special in their simplicity. Mix everything together in one bowl with a wooden spoon, dump it into a pan, pop it in the oven and just wait for the magic to happen…

Chocolate Chip Bars are absolutely irresistible to me; Just the thought of them holds so much nostalgia that I don’t think they will ever get old.  

When I was a kid this was my mom’s go to recipe when she needed something quick and delicious that everyone in the family was sure to love. She would always say “I think I’m just going to whip up a batch of chocolate chip bars.” They weren’t fancy, but they were damn delicious and that was all that mattered.

My brother Cam is not a baker, but for some reason the promise of chocolate chip bars would always get my little brother into the kitchen. Like me, he loved them so much that he always wanted to be a part of the process of making them.

So my mom, my brother and I would cram into our kitchen and “whip up “ the easiest batch of chocolate chip bars ever. And once they were baked, the entire family could hardly wait more than two minutes to dive into the pan… so we didn’t.

We would eat them hot from the oven with a scoop of melty vanilla ice cream and we were all convinced that it was pretty much the best dessert on the face of the planet.  

Yes, chocolate chip bars hold a special place in my heart. Their straight to the point deliciousness is exactly what inspired this recipe. Literally all you need are the ingredients, a pot, and a wooden spoon to make them happen.

They are just plain delicious any day of the week, and I hope they bring you some joy.

Happy Baking lovelies.

KPxoxo

Pecan Toffee and Oatmeal Dark Chocolate Chunk Bars

Things you need…
3/4 cup butter, browned (I use salted butter)
1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
1 egg, room temp
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup large rolled oats
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup toffee pieces (**You can usually find these in the chocolate chip section of your grocery store)
1/2 cup dark chocolate chunks (I like to use Lindt or Ghirrardelli Dark Chocolate Bars at least 72% cocoa)
1/2 cup toasted pecans, roughly chopped

How to make…
Preheat oven to 325F degrees. Line a 9×9 inch baking pan with parchment paper; set aside.

First prepare your browned butter. Place your butter into a sauce pan over medium heat to melt. Once melted, kick the heat up to medium high and cook until fragrant and golden brown. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Once cooled slightly, add in the brown sugar and mix with a wooden spoon until combined.

Next, add in the egg and beat until thick – about one minute. Add the vanilla, and mix to combine.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, rolled oats, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the pot and stir until the mixture is just starting to come together, but there are still floury streaks. Add in chocolate chips, toffee pieces and pecans, Stir to combine everything.

Dump dough into prepared baking pan, and use your wooden spoon or your fingers to press the dough evenly to the outer edges of the pan.

Bake for 25- 30 minutes or until the edges and top are golden.

**Note: baking Oven time is a guideline and completely dependent on your oven and how hot or cold it runs. My oven runs super hot and cooks these in no more than 24 minutes. If your oven runs cold, they will require more time. So use the oven time as a guideline and look at the consistency of your bars. If they are still raw in the center- they need more time.

Remove from the oven and sprinkle with flaked sea salt, if desired and place on a cooling rack to cool for at least 5 minutes before serving warm or wait until the bars are cooled completely to slice.

I love serving these warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, but you serve em’ up however your heart desires!